Indonesia's Ministry of Forestry and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to advance sustainable forest management and strengthen the country's forestry sector.
Global demand for wood products is set to rise more than 40% by 2050 compared with 2020. Conservation and sustainable use of forests work together, not against each other, and this partnership puts that principle into action.
What the agreement covers
The Directorate General of Sustainable Forest Management (Ditjen PHL) and FSC agreed to build closer synergy between Indonesia's Timber Legality and Sustainable Assurance System (SVLK) and FSC certification. SVLK is Indonesia's mandatory national system for verifying the legality and sustainability of timber, required for the country's forest product exports. Ir. Laksmi Wijayanti, Director General of Sustainable Forest Management, signed on behalf of the Ministry, and Subhra Bhattacharjee, Director General of FSC International, signed for FSC, with government, business, and civil society representatives attending the ceremony.
The MoU centred on a combined audit mechanism, which lets a single audit team assess both SVLK and FSC standards together, saving time and cost while keeping full credibility. Its scope includes:
- integrated audits across the supply chain, from forests to exporters and importers
- stronger forest management performance and aligned remedy frameworks supporting Indonesia's Forestry and Other Land Use (FOLU) Net Sink 2030 target
- capacity building, network strengthening, and market data exchange
- expanded market access for SVLK- and FSC-compliant Indonesian forest products
Leaders highlighted shared benefits
Laksmi Wijayanti said the partnership strengthens synergy between national and international approaches, delivering real benefits for the environment, communities, and forest businesses, and driving global market confidence in Indonesian forest products.
Subhra Bhattacharjee said the collaboration supports the long-term resilience of Indonesia's forests, including its natural forests, and reflects FSC's commitment to one of the world's most important tropical forest countries. She added that the combined audit mechanism streamlines certification while boosting the sector's competitiveness.
What is SVLK?
SVLK stands for Sistem Verifikasi Legalitas dan Kelestarian, Indonesia's national timber legality and sustainability assurance system. It verifies that wood products meet Indonesia's legal and sustainability requirements at every stage, from harvest to export, and is mandatory for the country's forestry exports.